by Philip Pullman
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Product Description
In search of clues to the mystery of her father's death, 16-year-old Sally Lockhart ventures into the shadowy underworld of Victorian London. Pursued by villains at every turn, the intrepid Sally finally uncovers two dark mysteries--and realizes that she herself is the key to both.
"In Dickensian fashion, Pullman tells the story of 16-year-old Sally Lockhart, who becomes involved in a deadly web of events as she searches for a mysterious ruby. The novel is a page turner, peopled with despicable hags, forthright heroes, and children living on the underbelly of 19th-century London. The story's events are exciting, with involved plotting. Settings and characterizations are exquisitely drawn. The first entry in a planned trilogy."--(starred) Booklist. Reading level: 6.7.
Amazon.com Review
"Her name was Sally Lockhart; and within fifteen minutes, she was going to kill a man." Philip Pullman begins his Sally Lockhart trilogy with a bang in The Ruby in the Smoke--a fast-paced, finely crafted thriller set in a rogue- and scalawag-ridden Victorian London. His 16-year-old heroine has no time for the usual trials of adolescence: her father has been murdered, and she needs to find out how and why. But everywhere she turns, she encounters new scoundrels and secrets. Why do the mere words "seven blessings" cause one man to keel over and die at their utterance? Who has possession of the rare, stolen ruby? And what does the opium trade have to do with it? As our determined and intelligent sleuth sets her mind to unraveling these dark mysteries, she learns how embroiled she is in the whole affair. As riveting and witty as the sensational "penny dreadfuls" of Victorian England (but thousands of times better written), Pullman's trilogy (including The Shadow in the North and The Tiger in the Well) will have readers on the edges of their seats. Ruby is an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. (Ages 12 and older) --Karin Snelson
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Courtesy of Mother Daughter Book Club.com, 2008-10-16
Fans of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series will find Ruby in the Smoke very different, but in many ways just as pleasurable to read. It opens with sixteen-year-old Sally Lockhart visiting her deceased father's shipping firm and accidentally causing one of his associates to die of a heart-attack when she ask him if he knows of the Seven Blessings. The phrase was on a piece of paper dictated by her father before his death and sent to her in secret.
Fearing that her life is in danger, Sally seeks to unravel the mystery of why her father died, who would like to see her dead, and where to find the famed ruby of an Indian maharajah. Set in Victorian London, the Ruby in the Smoke takes the reader into the dark underworld of the times, where opium dens, disreputable boarding houses and seedy characters abound, while poverty forces many into a life of crime. Pullman keeps us guessing right up until the end, when the facts of several mysteries building during the story are revealed.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Her name was Sally Lockhart; and within 15 minutes, she was going to kill a man, 2008-08-02
In The Ruby in the Smoke, Phillip Pullman combines three of my favorite things: young adult fiction, a good mystery and a Victorian era setting.
Sixteen-year-old Sally Lockhart has recently lost her father in a shipwreck. After receiving a mysterious note warning her to "beware of the Seven Blessings", she visits her late father's shipping firm in the hope that someone there can make sense of the note. When she asks one of her father's employees about the Seven Blessings, the man is so terrified that he dies of a heart attack right in front of Sally. And so begins a chain of events that will have Sally questioning the circumstances of her father's death as well as her connection to a priceless Indian ruby. All the while Sally is pursued by a series of villains who are determined to kill her before she can learn the truth.
The Ruby in the Smoke is filled with colorful, vivid characters that seem ready to leap off the page. Sally is a strong female character, but she's not perfect by any means. Pullman avoided the pitfall of turning her into an unrealistic super heroine, while still highlighting her cleverness and charm. Even some of the villains are likeable while still being villainous; I was very amused by one soft-hearted thug who gives a temperance tract to a drunken man he's just beaten up.
With witty dialogue and twists and turns on nearly every page, The Ruby in the Smoke is a delightful and exciting read. I highly recommended it to any reader who loves a good mystery.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
A Different Face of Philip Pullman, 2008-06-13
A strange facade of Philip Pullman's writing is displayed within the pages of the novel, The Ruby in the Smoke. The style of writing is very different from most others, and this story is a very different branch form the Dark Materials. The Ruby in the smoke is a historical fiction, with no fantasy. Yet it was brilliant.
Sally was a great, and well put together, character. She was very real, and easy to follow. The plot, two mysteries entwined with each other, was interesting, and fit the story very well. Philip Pullman could have presented the solving of the mysteries with a bit more "Kapow," but other than that this was a great read.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Go Sally, Go!, 2008-04-30
A terrific example of a "Kid Power" book. A spunky 16 year old herione takes on a faceless enemy and a host of dangerous characters and, with the help of a troupe of intrepid friends, prevails. Well written, good use of English language. Informative regarding British economy and society in Victorian times. For that reason, rather dark. No objectionable language or references to sexual behavior, but does include murder and mayhem. Highly recommended as a book that young and old can read and talk about.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Not bad but not totally satisfying., 2008-03-27
At 230 pages The Ruby in the Smoke is a quick read. The story flows evenly, the characters are too quickly developed though. Something's missing. The ending ties everything together, however, not in a manner that satisfies - too quickly done. A good read for teens with everything including an interesting plot - what's missing is depth.
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